Luxford Elementary has established itself as a community leader in its initiative to increase the level of fitness of students, parents, and community members. For the last five years, this initiative has included yearly student running clubs; participation in community races; weekly "running days" for students, parents, and staff members; and hosting an annual race called the "Dragon Dash".
The school was the initial pilot school for the Final Mile program, part of a well-known local race, the Shamrock Marathon. It was also awarded two awards in connection with our Fitness Initiative: The First Lady of Virginia visited to present our school with the Healthy Kids Gold Medal Award, while Luxford also awarded an Exemplary Partnership Award for our work with a local business, Final Kick Sports, in the initial establishment of our running club.
As the next step in this initiative, the Luxford Dragon Trail will provide a safe surface for students, parents, and communities members to use for running and walking. The installation of this trail will prove to be a great improvement to the school and community.
PTA Involvement
The idea for the Dragon Trail began with Luxford's PTA. While they knew that it would not be an easy project to accomplish, they pushed forward with the seeking of grants and donations to make the trail a reality. The Dragon Trail will be officially turned over to the school, from the PTA, upon completion as a PTA contribution. [Top]
School Involvement
While the efforts to take the Dragon Trail from dream to reality were led by the PTA, the administration of Luxford Elementary has also played a significant role in the process, ensuring that faculty, staff, students, and parents were made aware of the project and assisted in every planning stage of the project. [Top]
Financial Overview
A project of this magnitude presented a major financial hurdle for the PTA to surmount. However, it should be noted that absolutely no funds from the organization's operating budget, used to support for efforts of the school, were used toward the construction of the Dragon Trail. Membership fees and profits from fundraisers were not diverted to fund the trail project.
Instead, the PTA relied solely on its ability to win grants and solicit the support of local businesses in the way of material donations toward the construction of the Dragon Trail. [Top]
Grant Information
The PTA was successful in their effort to win a $5,000 grant from Lowe's Toolbox for Education. This grant proved vital as the PTA continued to seek support from local businesses and truly was the first stepping stone in making the Dragon Trail a reality. [Top]
Business Donors
Beyond the $5,000 grant, the construction of the Dragon Trail has been completely financed through the donations and contributions of the following companies. [Top]
City of Virginia Beach, Parks and Recreation www.vbgov.com
E.V. Williams www.evwilliams.com
Gryphon Technologies, LC www.gryphonlc.com
H.D. Suppy Waterworks www.hdsupply.com
Spivey Rentals and Safety, Inc. www.spiveyrentals.com
Titan Virginia Ready-Mix, LLC/Titan America www.titanamerica.com/products/ready_mix/virginia
Vico Construction Corp.
Published Information
Luxford Elementary and its PTA have worked hard to ensure that students, parents, and the community have been kept up to date with the status of the project. [Top]
"Another noteworthy award was recently presented to Joanne D'Agostino, principal of Luxford Elementary School. She was selected by the Consortium for Infant and Child Health (CINCH) to receive a Hampton Roads Child Health Advocacy Award at the individual level. Ms. D'Agostino was cited as being a School Health Advocate in recognition of her work in promoting student fitness through an array of initiatives, activities, and events at Luxford. Among the exemplary initiatives are establishing the first Final Kick Sports running club, serving as the original pilot school for the Shamrock Final Mile Program, building the Dragon Fitness (running/walking) Trail, and receiving numerous grants for fitness programs from such organizations as the Virginia Beach Schools Education Foundation, the Virginia PTA, and Lowe's. Congratulations, Ms. D'Agostino!"
The opportunities Luxford provides for its students extend far beyond running. From soccer club to computer club, Luxford provides a growing variety of activities to students with all sorts of interests. Luxford's fitness initiative is an important aspect of the culture of the school; however, this initiative is only a part of a larger focus on engaging students and providing opportunities for them to succeed academically and socially. [Top]
